A Long Dark Night
by EchoLuv
Summary: Edward and Bella meet under very different circumstances. She's not quite human, and has too many secrets to hide. Will she let Edward in? Or will her tangled past tear the Cullen's apart? Vampires, AU, Cannon Couples
1. Chapter 1

She watched the sky darken as night approached. Her dark hair hid her face as she turned away from the sunlight. She shifted on the branch of the massive pine, searching for some semblance of comfort. The musky scent of the tree was somehow soothing. It reminded her of the one, somewhat normal, Christmas she had experienced. Perhaps she would be able to sleep tonight. Once upon a time, she had adored the night. Darkness was the play time of her childhood, the only time she and her father could truly be themselves. He couldn't be seen in the sunlight. She had detested the sunrise. The moment the sky began it's ascent into light, that early pre-dawn gray filling the horizon, she and her father had to hide away again.

"_We're not like them," _He had whispered, while they crouched in a copse of trees, observing children and parents at a suburban playground, _"They wouldn't understand our kind. They are afraid of us, as they should be. They must NEVER learn of our existence."_

It was the one rule of their kind; he had impressed it upon her time and again. _"Trust no one. No one may know what you are, Bella."_

They made the mistake of entrusting her secret with one person, and now her father was gone.

Now, the night haunted her. She was alone.

_Silence._

Blissful, peaceful silence. Silence was certainly a rarity; the last ninety-five years of his endless existence had taught him the treasure moments like this. Sweet silence, a nearly religious experience for Edward. Much preferable to the constant irritating drone of other voices in his head. Voices that didn't belong there, thinking terribly mundane _human_ thoughts. Or worse yet, and far more typical in his home, irritating, terribly mundane _lewd mated vampire_ thoughts. Edward had never been more thankful for Rosalie's insane need for repeated weddings and, more specifically, destination honeymoons that took her and her perverted husband far from Edward's abilities.

Carlisle was suffering through another late night at the hospital. The seasonal flu and an early fall had combined to terrorize the population of Forks. Although not deadly for most, Carlisle had picked up extra shifts in the geriatric unit. The patients there were more susceptible, and they had lost one little old lady already. Esme was delivering baked goods to the overworked nurses, and would probably sneak by the nursery, even though she knew it would hurt to see those sweet babies.

Alice and Jasper had gone for late night "hunt". Edward was no fool, he was fully aware that Alice was simply pursuing their activities elsewhere in order to leave Edward with some peace. He didn't have to read her mind to realize the plot, and she didn't need her visions to understand the depths of his gratitude. In one of their simple trademark silent conversations, he gave her a single nod, she smile, grabbed her husband, and darted out the door. Finally, Edward could be alone. If only for a few hours.

Crouching, hidden in the boughs of a large sycamore, Alice peered at the forest beneath her. She had drained a handful of deer and disposed of the bodies already. Now, she was hiding about a quarter mile from the place she had agreed to meet Jasper. She was downwind. Hopefully, he would follow the trail she left for him, the one that led directly underneath this tree…

"Boo."

In spite of herself, Alice jumped and spun. Jasper lounged casually one branch above her, draped over the side, his upside-down face was just behind her. She couldn't contain the giggles. Still, after all these years, he was the only one who could get around her gift and surprise her.

"You would be a terrible soldier, I could smell that trap from- oh, I don't know- about a quarter mile away?" His teasing drawl and sexy grin did wonderful things to her girly bits, and sensing the change in her mood, Jasper smirked. He caught her lips in a heated, if not a bit awkward, Spiderman kiss. The thought of that scene from the movie caused her to laugh again. Jasper chuckled with her, Alice's giddy mood affecting him in spite of his confusion as to the cause of her mirth.

"Oh Alice," he murmured, "I love you." Staring into her butterscotch eyes made him feel as if his unbeating heart might start pounding again. She gave him life, purpose. She made him feel _almost_ human.

"Of course you do silly. What's not to love?" Alice grinned, her bright eyes and beaming face close to blinding him, "I love you so much Jasper."

The moment was shattered by a sharp gasp, Alice and Jasper both leapt to the ground, startled by the surprise intruder neither had sensed approaching. They stared at the girl before them. Her slight figure trembled in fear as her large brown eyes peered at them from behind a curtain of dark tangled hair. "Mary Alice?" She whispered. Alice's eyes shot back to the girl's face, she had been examining her visions. Or, more accurately, her _lack_ of visions concerning this girl.

The girl stumbled back, shock paling her features as she stared at Alice scrutinizing her every feature. "I- it can't be." The desperation in her eyes, the fear on her face touched Alice, her expression pled for help. Alice didn't even have a chance to consider the poor girl, as the delicate brunette turned, vanishing in the blink of an eye.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Bella?"_

_Groaning, I rolled over, rubbing at my bleary eyes I mumbled, "Mom?"_

"_Bella? Sweetie, wake up!" I open my eyes slowly, squinting into the sunlight reflecting through my room._

"_What time is it?"_

"_Time to get up silly!" Still blinking rapidly, I peer through the blinding light, finally spotting my mother in the chaos. "Merry Christmas!" She laughs joyfully, tugging me out of bed and hustling me to the living room. The tree we had set up last night was still lit. The bright Arizona sun bouncing off my parents, along with the twinkling candles and glistening tinsel momentarily disoriented me as I remembered where I was. This abandoned house and pitiful Christmas tree were just for my mother._

_I peered at my father, standing beside the tree; one wrapped present already in his hands, extended towards me, and shared a secret smile. Neither of us cared for the silly human holiday, what use did we have for material goods? We were nomads; we kept very little that would not travel on our person. However, today, we would humor my mother, the sweet and gentle Renee. If she wished to cling to this one human tradition, who were we to stand in the way of her happiness? My father would do anything to see the smile my mother wore now._

"_Go on Bella, open it!" Mother nudged me from behind, urging me to take the present, tear through its paper, and discover the treasure inside. Having never opened a gift before, I took great childish delight in shredding the paper with my razor sharp nails, revealing a long thin black box._

"_What is it?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me._

_My mother giggled, and my father smiled in response, "Open it Little One," He murmured, the deep timber of his voice encouraging me, "Or you'll never know." The teasing glint in his eyes made me smile as I cracked open the box, removing the smooth unremarkable lid. Inside, a beautiful silver locket lay upon a bed of satin. The chain was very fine and lightweight, the oval locket face inlaid with curling designs and flowers, three small diamonds glinted from its surface. Carefully unlatching the delicate clasp, I discovered two tiny but detailed portraits, one of my mother, her face and smile full of love. The portrait of my father looked very much like the Charles Swan I knew. His stern face gave away nothing to those who didn't know him. The slight twist at the corners of his mouth and the sparkle in his eyes displayed his love for me._

"_It's perfect." I whispered, glancing up to smile at my parents, only to catch them mid kiss. In all the infinite wisdom of my five years of life, I groaned loudly, "Gross!"_

_My parents laughed, their joy nearly palpable, as we turned back to the tree and the modest pile of gifts beneath._

Gasping, I jerked awake, the bright sun of my dream-memory still warming my skin. I couldn't contain my sobs as I thought of my parents and that long ago Christmas. At the time, I had only been playing human to please my mother. I had placed them on a pedestal. My parents were superheroes to me. Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive- so much _better_ than the humans. At night, my father and I would race, we'd wrestle and fight. We didn't hold back, I could jump as high as I wanted, run as faster than any other child. Nothing could stop me; my daddy would save me. He _couldn't_ be hurt. Indestructible, infallible… That was not my father. He was as weak as any man, he couldn't save us all.

And it was _my_ fault.

"Slow down Alice, tell me everything." I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and pinching the bridge of my nose. When my cell phone started ringing, I ignored it. When the house phone began ringing simultaneously, I had decided it would be better to answer Alice sooner than later. Perhaps I would be able to go back to my _quiet_ after she'd said her piece. Whatever vision she'd had couldn't possibly be that urgent, could it?

Turns out, no such luck. She wasn't even calling about a vision.

"We met someone, Edward! We were hunting, and this girl just snuck up on us!"

"She snuck up on you?" Incredulity dripping from my tone, "You? The fortune telling gnat?"

Her exasperated sigh was unnecessary, but I was still having trouble coming to grips with the idea that a measly human girl had surprised Alice.

"Yes! _She snuck up on me! _That's not all. She said my name. Like she knew me. Well sort of…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I was growing tired of this guessing game. Why couldn't she just spell it all out for me, and then go on her merry way?

"It looked like she recognized me, but she called me Mary Alice. Do you think, maybe Alice isn't my name?" She sounded worried, unsure of herself.

What was she doing out there anyway, a little human girl, completely by herself in the middle of the forest miles away from civilization? "Of course it's your name Alice; she probably mistook you for someone else. The question is, how did she find you? What was she doing there?"

Alice sighed, her frustration evident. "I don't know Edward. I didn't even get to say hello. One minute, she was there. The next, she was gone."

I frowned, confused and concerned again, "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"I mean she ran away Edward. Much, much too quickly to be a _normal human_ girl."


End file.
